Heel holder for heel-attaching machines



March 24, 1942. J. REARDON 2,277,182

HEEL-HOLDER FOR HEEL-ATTACHING MACHINE Filed May 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v vE/v TEFL Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEEL HOLDER FOR HEEL-ATTACHING MACHINES Jersey Application May 29, 1940, Serial No. 337,846

16 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for attaching heels to shoes, having particularly to do with the simultaneous nailing to a shoe of separate portions of a heel, as a base-section and a treadsection or lift, the latter being usually of rubber.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,723,310, Standish, August 6, 1929, is disclosed a heel-holding mechanism in which there is a carrier, movable between an active position over the nailing die of a heeling machine and an inactive position at one side thereof. Upon this carrier is a lower holder or ring, to receive and retain against expansion a rubber lift, and an upper holder, consisting of a pair of fingers between which a heel-base may be inserted for vertical registration with the lift in the ring. By this double holder, the two heel-sections are presented simultaneously to a jacked shoe forattachment. each other by a spring, so they will grasp the base securely. In introducing a base, the operator must use some effort to separate the fingers by direct engagement with them. Further, when The base-fingers are forced toward the attachment has been effected, the operator To attain the above object, with nail-driving mechanism and a holder movable into and out of co-operation with the driving mechanism and having movable upon it members between which a heel-portion is grasped, I combine means movable under the power of the machine for separating the grasping members, this preferably being accomplished by movement of the driving mechanism during its nail-inserting advance. The separation of the members I control by means under the influence of one of said members. For this purpose, the grasping members may be latched in their separated relation and freed by means movable with one of the members, as when a heel is applied to them. Since the separation of the members occurs as a result of the insertion of the nails by the drivers, upon the completion of the attaching operation and the retraction of said drivers the members are spaced from the work, and so neither ofier resistance to its withdrawal nor can deface it.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the separation of the heel-grasping members or fingers of the heel-holder is produced when said holder is above the nailing die, in which position, a cam, movable with the drivers, contacts with a member connected to one of the fingers. In their separated relation, the fingers are temporarily retained by a latch pivoted upon the holder to be released by means movable with a member which co-operates with the fingers in the grasping of the heel, and which yields when the heel is inserted by the operator.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 shows an illustrative form of my invention in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3, a detail in elevation of the fingerseparating mechanism, looking from the left in Fig. 1; v

Fig. 4, an enlarged partial top plan View with the fingers separated;

Fig. 5, an enlarged vertical section on the line V--V of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 6 and 7 sectional details upon lines VI-VI and VIIVII, respectively, of Fig. 4.

At Ill appears a frame in the form of a movable crosshead, upon which is mounted the nailing die l2 of a heeling machine. Drivers l4, carried by a reciprocatory crosshead l5, operate in passages in the die to insert the nails which they carry through a lower lift L, of some such yieldable material as rubber and a leather or like base E, into the heel-seat of a shoe S supported upon a jack 16. The lift and base are presented to the nailing mechanism by a double holder of the character of that disclosed in the patent previously referred to, and which need only be described briefiy. A carrier I8 is guided for horizontal travel above the die l2 by means including a rod 20 fixed in the crosshead III. In the lower portion of the holder, forms or rings 24 may be mounted interchangeably in ways, the opening in each ring being of the proper shape to receive and hold against expansion a particular size of lift. The base applied above the lift in the ring is grasped between opposite fingers 25 and 26, respectively pivoted at 28, 28 upon a support 29 and geared together at 21. The support is mounted for vertical tilting adjustment upon a slide 30, variable in position from front to rear of the carrier IS. The fingers are urged toward each other to assume their closed relation by an expansion-spring 32, interposed between a pro.- jection 34 from one of the fingers and a bracket 36 secured to the support 29. The spring surrounds a rod 38 pivoted to the projection 34 and passing through an opening in the bracket. A nut 40 threaded upon the rear end of the rod limits adjustably its forward movement under the infiuence of the spring, and, therefore, the normal separation of the fingers. These fingers are hooked at their extremities, as shown at 42, to engage the breast-corners of the applied base and locate it above the lift, as it is forced forward by a fork 44 contacting with opposite sides of the rear of the base and yieldably advanced by an expansion-spring 46, acting upon a supporting shank 48. The holder, consisting of the carrier with the liftand base-retaining means, is movable upon its supports from an active position over the die l2, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to the left of the machine to free the die for the reception of the attaching nails. This movement is effected by contact with an arm 5% connected with a latch 52, which releasably retains the holder in operating position, of the usual oscillatory arm 54, when the latter is swung inwardly by the operator to transfer a load of nails supplied to it to the die.

Considering now the elements peculiar to this invention, there is attached to the left-hand side of the driver-crosshead IS, a vertical actuating member 60 having at the outer side of its upper end a cam-surface 62. When the drivers l4 rise to insert in the work the nails which they carry, the heel-holder is above the nailing die l2, as appears in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. At this time, there is vertically alined with the actuating member an opening 64 in the outer extremity of a, bar 66. This bar is guided for horizontal reciprocation in a depression formed in an upward projection 68 from the carrier l8, and is retained against displacement by a slot-andscrew connection 69. The inner end of the bar is connected to the base-finger 25 by a pin 10, rising from said finger and passing through an elongated slot 12 in the bar. The slot is of such dimensions as to allow, without interference, for the bodily movement of the finger, as the slide 30 is adjusted. The pin H1 is of sufficient height to remain in the slot during the tilting of the finger-support 29. As the actuating member 65 rises with the drivers, its cam-surface 62 engages the straight outer edge 14 of the opening 64, thereby forcing the bar 66 to the left, as ap pears in Fig. 4. This movement will be communicated to the connected finger 25 and, through the gearing 21, to the opposite finger 26, separating. these from the base which they have been holding. The bar is shown as made up of two overlapping sections joined to each other by a. slot-and-screw connection 15. This allows the edge 14 of the bar to be so located with respect to the cam-surface 62 that the base-fingers will be opened to the desired extent.

In their open relation, the fingers 25 and 26 are temporarily retained by a latch 16, pivoted upon a bracket 11 extending from the support 29, and urged by a spring 18 into yieldable engagement with a series of inclined teeth formed upon aplate 80 attached to the finger 25. Both fingers are thus held away from the work, while this is being withdrawn from attaching position. To cause the fingers to grasp the succeeding base, inserted between them, the fork 44, which furnishes with the fingers the third grasping member of the holder, has extending from it a contact-arm 8.2. As the operator inserts the base between the fingers, he forces it back against the yieldable fork somewhat to the rear of the finger-hooks 42. The arm strikes an upward extension 84 from the latch 16, and said latch is thus swung rearwardly to release the arms, which are closed by the spring 32. Since the extent to which this fork is moved by different operators may vary, the time of engagement of the latchprojection 84 by the arm 82 may be altered, so release of the fingers is ensured. This is herein shown as accomplished by changing the angular position of the arm, and therefore its normal separation from the latchprojection. For this purpose, the arm may be turned about a pivot 86, it being adjustably clamped by a slotand-screw connection 88.

To outline briefly the action of my improved holder, let it be assumed that with the carrier l3 positioned above the die l2, as appears in Figs. 1 and 2, a lift L has been supplied to the ring 24, a base H is in place between the fingers 25, 26, and the heel-seat of a jacked shoe is pressed against the cup of the base. With the machine in operation, clamping pressure is applied to the work by relative movement between the die l2 and the jack 16, after which the crosshead I 5 with the drivers I4 rises to insert the attaching nails, which have been delivered to the die by the loading mechanism 54. In this upward travel of the crosshead, the actuating member 60 which it carries is elevated, so it enters the opening 64 in the connecting bar 66, and its cam-surface 62 engages the edge 14 of the opening. The resultant movement of the bar is transmitted to the fingers to free the base which they have been holding. In their separated relation, the'fingers are held by the latch 16 engaging the toothed plate 80. Since this release of the base does not occur until after the work is under pressure, there is no opportunity for displacement. After th termination of the machine-cycle, with the removal of the work-clamping pressure and the base entirely freed from the retaining force exerted by the fingers, the operator may readily withdraw the heeled shoe from above the die. Because of the separation of the hooked ends 42 of the fingers from each other, there is no chance for contact of any portion of the heel with these ends. In absence of such separation, the breast-corners of the rubber lift, for example, may be marred during the removal of the work. For the succeeding operation, after the operator has supplied a lift to the ring 24, he may place the base upon the lift between the open fingers and press it back slightly against the fork 44, until the breast-corners are at the rear of the hooks 42. In this movement of the fork, its contact-arm 82 trips the latch 16 to permit the fingers to be closed upon the base by the spring 32 and locate it for attachment. This may occur while the holder is above the die, or it may be during the travel of said holder out of or into its active position, and is effected as an incident to another necessary act and with negligible effort on the part of the operator.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder movable into and out of co-operation with the driving mechanism and having movable upon it members between which a heel-portion is grasped for nailing, and means movable under the power of the machine for separating the grasping members.

2. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a hell-portion is grasped for nailing, means movable under the power of the machine for separating the grasping members, and means movable under the influence of one of the members for controlling the separation of said members.

3. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a heel-portion is grasped, and means movable under the influence of the driving mechanism during its nail-inserting advance for separating the grasping members for the reception of a heel-portion.

4. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having devices by which plural heel-sections are arranged for presentation one above another to the nailing mechanism for simultaneous attachment, one of said devices being provided with movable members between which a heel-section is grasped, and means movable under the influence of an element of the nail-driving mechanism for moving the grasping members.

5. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a heel-portion is grasped, said holder being movable into and out or co-operation with the nail-driving mechanism, and means acting upon the grasping members while they are in co-operation with the nail-driving mechanism for separating them for the reception of a heel-portion.

6. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a heel-portion is grasped, means movable under the influence of the nail-driving mechanism for separating the grasping members for the reception of a hell-portion, and means for latching the grasping members in their separated relation.

'7. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a heel-portion is grasped, means movable under the influence of the nail-driving mechanism for separating the grasping members for the reception of a heel-portion, means for latching the grasping members in their separated relation, and means movable with one of the grasping members for unlatching said members.

8. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a heel-portion is grasped, means movable under the influence of the nail-driving mechanism for separating the grasping members for the reception of a heel-portion, means for latching the grasping members in their separated relation, and means arranged to release the grasping members from the latching means under the influence of a heel-portion applied to the holder.

9. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, a holder having movable members between which a heel-portion is grasped, said holder being movable into and out of co-operation with the nail-driving mechanism, means acting upon the grasping members while they are in co-operation with the nail-driving mechanism for separating them for the reception of a heelportion, means for latching the grasping members in their separated relation, and means arranged to release the grasping members to close upon an applied heel-portion while they are in co-operation with the nail-driving mechanism.

10. In a heel-attaching machine,a nailing die and co-operating reciprocatory drivers, a holder co-operating with the die and having oppositely movable heel-grasping fingers, means for yieldably moving the fingers to grasp a heel, and means movable with the drivers for separating the fingers against the force of the yieldable means.

11. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die and co-operating reciprocatory drivers, a holder co-operating with the die and having oppositely movable heel-grasping fingers, means movable with the drivers for separating the fingers, and means for latching the fingers in their separated relation while in co-operation with the die.

12. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die and co-operating reciprocatory drivers, aholder co-operating with the die and having oppositely movable heel-grasping fingers, means movable with the drivers for separating the fingers, means for latching the fingers in their separated relation, and means arranged to release the fingers under the influence of a heel inserted between said fingers.

13. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die and cooperating reciprocatory drivers, a holder co-operating with the die and having opposite fingers for grasping the sides of the heel and a yieldable member for engagement with the rear of a heel, means movable with the drivers for separating the fingers, a latch for the fiingers in their separated relation, and means movable with the yieldable member for unlatching the fingers.

14. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die and co-operating reciprocatory drivers, a holder cooperating with the die and having opposite heel-grasping fingers, a cam movable with the drivers, and a member connected with the fingers and receiving contact of the cam in the movement of the drivers.

15. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die and co-operating reciprocatory drivers, a holder co-operating with the die and having opposite heel-grasping fingers, a cam movable with the drivers, a member connected with the fingers and receiving contact of the cam in the movement of the drivers to separate the fingers, and a latch pivoted upon the holder to temporarily retain the fingers separated.

16. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die and co-operating reciprocatory drivers, a holder co-operating with the die and having opposite fingers for grasping the sides of a heel and a yieldable member for engagement with the rear of the heel, a latch pivoted upon the holder to temporarily retain the fingers separated, and a contact-projection from the yieldable member for disengaging the latch.

GEORGE J. REARDON. 

